“Call ye all nations for the Lord Almighty shall wreak havoc upon you. The Spirit of the Lord shall flee as the birds scatter in a moment’s time. Let not your leaders lead you astray for His kingdom shall rule.

Come ye children of God, put on your armor and take your stance. Blasphemy abounds throughout the earth and the wrath of God is about to be poured out.

Ye O’ nations who look to your strength will find no strength in your weapons of war. Go in strength of the Lord for it is by His strength and direction that the wars are won.

The war upon My people shall bring heartache and sorrow. Repent O’ nations for the Lord shall speak against you. Repent O’ nations for you have no power where power is not given.

Take up your swords O’ faithful ones for your God is behind you. It is He who holds the swords in your right hands. His power will lead you into battle.

Rest not ye who claim sovereignty for it is not there. Nations upon nations will go by the wayside for your faith is in your power, not Mine.

Repent all ye nations who claim My land, for My wrath will come against you. My people shall rise and shout with glee, for the King has risen and will let no others claim His place.

No gods shall harvest what is Mine, no gods can dispel the wrath ahead. Let not your voices be heard from the mountain tops for I shall destroy the mountain.

Come all ye faithful ones for the Lord your God shall armor you for battle. You are the Kings warriors and let not fear fill your hearts. The battle is won, walk in victory for your destiny has been won.”

In a remarkable story of redemption and example of the healing power of God’s love and forgiveness, an ex-convict once sentenced to 500 years in jail is now spreading the word of the Lord and baptizing the prison population he used to live among. Furthermore, he has built a remarkable friendship with the judge who ordered his lock up.

As CBN News reported, Texas-native Ron Adkins received a 495-year prison sentence in 1997, after being found guilty of several home burglaries. The then 22-year-old received 99 years for each of the five counts on which he was charged and picked up an additional five-year sentence for possession of an unauthorized cell phone. A district judge at the time, Robert Newsom upheld Adkins conviction. Little did either man know, they would one day cross paths again.

With seemingly no hope of ever being a free man again, Adkins lashed out—joining a prison gang, racking up some 250 violations, and even ending up in solitary confinement for 13 years. He found himself alone and suicidal, but a worn-out Bible he had neglected for years ultimately became his saving grace.

“Half the pages were missing because I had been using it for rolling papers. I had been smoking cigarettes with Bible papers,” Adkins joked to CBN. “All that was left of the Bible was the New Testament.”

In reading those remaining pages, Adkins came to learn about God’s love and grace. He decided to quit the gang and instead join his prison’s Bible study group. He began taking ministry courses, and, after beginning to display “good behavior,” Adkins received surprise parole hearing, which was initially projected for 2095. In May 2015, Adkins was released from prison.

Once released, Adkins found a job continued to grow in his faith, sharing his powerful story with churches and criminal justice reform conferences. In doing so, he met his wife Dawn Knighton, a former felon turned Christian counselor. His return to church and faith also sparked another unexpected relationship—one with Newsom, the judge who presided over his case decades earlier.

“It dawned on me, I told pastor, ‘You know what? I think that’s the judge who sentenced me to five 99-year sentences,’” Adkins recalled of sitting in church one day listening to a guest speaker that happened to be Newsom.

The men were introduced soon after, and while the introduction was initially a little awkward, the two became fast friends, with the former felon telling CBN News that he never held a grudge against the judge.

“I never did go to prison. I never did do some of the things that Ron has done. But I’m a sinner saved by grace just like Ronnie is,” Newsom explained of the surprise friendship. “We’re brothers.”

Thanks to Newsom, Adkins now works with the local Hopkins County Sheriff’s Department to meet with inmates and share his redemption story. He and his wife have even baptized some of the prisoners and jail staff. Newsom believed the ministry has created a “mini-revival” in the community. Adkins, meanwhile, is just grateful for the second chance he has been given to rewrite his legacy and, through the mercy of God, the legacy of those he touches with his service.

“In the very place where I was sentenced to die in prison, God’s going to use us to bring dead things back to life,” Adkins told CBN News. “And that’s what he’s doing. In the jail, in the worship nights, in the prayer meetings: He’s just bringing dead things back to life.”

Those who have put in place defense mechanism’s have lived in darkness in some ways. For to close your heart, mind, and soul not only defends against hurt but also closes doors to love.

He who is on high did not create “zombies.” He who loves you greatly created a being for love; His love, and the love of others. Those who have tread deep waters of pain do just that. For to tread water is to stand still, head barely above the surface, while the body is buried.

The body is also He who is the Almighty one’s, for you represent He who shed His blood. The Almighty did not create a body, mind, and soul to have it stand in mud or water.

He who is on high wishes your defenses to be cut loose. He who loves you wishes walls to topple and His Spirit within to be set free.

For defenses capture all that He is, and imprisons Him within. Never to freely love or laugh is your prison of defense.